Happy New Year. Hope you remembered to hydrate before going to bed.

You’ll know if it wasn’t enough.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to order a water with every alcoholic beverage. You can thank me later.

Do people still use a designated driver, or have Uber and Lyft made it obsolete?

Anyway, the year 2022 is officially behind us and I can begin referring to it as “last season.” But I want to take a final glance. Never can say goodbye.

Tyler Wells can’t say with any amount of confidence that he’s going to pitch again this year. He’s encouraged by the improvements he’s noticing in his lower left side, which has him trending in the right direction. A popular term in the clubhouse whenever a player has avoided a setback.

But pitch again in 2022?

There are health and innings factors to consider.

Wells sustained his injury during a start on July 27, wincing in pain after throwing a slider to Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz in the fifth. The team announced that Wells experienced lower back discomfort, but he also felt it in his side, which usually signals an issue with the oblique that’s much more serious.

“I feel much, much better,” he said yesterday.

CHICAGO – Spenser Watkins is back in the rotation and reliever Marcos Diplán is optioned without pitching yesterday.

The Orioles also recalled infielder Jonathan Araúz from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned infielder Rylan Bannon, who didn’t appear in a game in his second stint with the team.

Watkins has been recalled as Kyle Bradish’s replacement. Bradish went on the 15-day injured list yesterday with right shoulder inflammation.

The Orioles simply had to activate Watkins from the taxi squad.

Watkins hasn’t started for the Orioles since failing to retire any of three Tampa Bay batters on May 22 and leaving with a bruised right elbow – the product of a line drive from Ji-Man Choi.

CHICAGO – Rougned Odor is out of tonight’s lineup with some stiffness in his back. He could be available off the bench.

Odor pinch-hit for Richie Martin last night and struck out. He felt the discomfort on one swing and dropped to his knee.

Martin is starting tonight at second base.

Odor normally would be playing against White Sox right-hander Johnny Cueto.

Spenser Watkins remains available to start Saturday afternoon after working only one inning in last night’s start for Triple-A Norfolk. Watkins threw 10 pitches.

Rylan Bannon checked all the boxes for the Orioles when they searched for a position player to insert into their active roster after optioning pitcher Mike Baumann over the weekend.

“There’s a lot of reasons,” manager Brandon Hyde said today. “One, he’s on the 40-man. An extra infielder. We’re feeling pretty comfortable where we are outfield-wise. We just wanted to add an extra infielder in case of something happening.

“Rylan’s been showing some recent power there in Norfolk, swung the bat fairly well, and gives us a bat off the bench.”

Bannon led the International League in slugging percentage (.906) and OPS (1.424) last week. He homered in three of his last six games.

Today marks Bannon’s second tour with the Orioles, who recalled him in St. Louis. He didn’t know whether they’d bring him back this week.

The Orioles have recalled infielder Rylan Bannon from Triple-A Norfolk to expand their bench to four players for tonight’s series opener against the Nationals at Camden Yards.

Bannon made his major league debut while the Orioles were in St. Louis and went 2-for-14 in four games before they optioned him. He was batting .232/.358/.416 in 221 plate appearances with the Tides and homered in three of his last six games, also driving in eight runs.

Acquired from the Dodgers in the 2018 Manny Machado trade, Bannon has posted a .450 on-base percentage and .578 slugging percentage this month.

Jordan Lyles has been cleared to make tonight’s start after a stomach virus forced him to miss Sunday’s game against the Rays.

Lyles will attempt to complete the sixth inning for the first time in five starts. He’s made 11 career appearances against the Nationals, including three starts, and registered a 6.35 ERA and 1.412 WHIP in 28 1/3 innings.

The Orioles doubled down on their earlier roster move that promoted left-hander Nick Vespi to the majors.

Pitcher Logan Gillaspie was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk this afternoon to increase bullpen depth during a rough stretch of games. Infielder Rylan Bannon was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Gillaspie, added to the 40-man roster after the 2021 season, has made nine combined appearances between Double-A Bowie and Norfolk and registered a 3.14 ERA and 1.186 WHIP with 17 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings. He surrendered two runs in 6 1/3 innings with the Tides.

“Another guy on our 40-man roster that we want to take a look at,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Didn’t see him much in spring training. Kind of an unusual story. Remember talking to him in camp. I just saw him for two seconds before I came in here, so haven’t had a chance to speak with him much, but he started the year in Double-A, pitched well, been doing a fairly good job in Triple-A, and we needed the innings.”

Vespi, 26, and Gillaspie, 25, are awaiting their major league debuts.

While the Orioles opened a three-game series last night in Detroit on the backend of their two-city road trip, I returned home from St. Louis, checked the top of my head, ignored the gel and jotted down a few observations.

Jorge López is the closer, but Félix Bautista is the trusted backup

López rejoined the team yesterday in Detroit after three days on the bereavement list. In his absence, Bautista recorded two saves in the St. Louis series and fired nine fastballs Thursday afternoon in triple digits. A few others were clocked at 99 mph.

Bautista is a rookie who turns 27 next month and came to the organization as a free-agent signing in August 2016, one year after the Marlins released him. He made 11 appearances at Single-A Aberdeen last summer, reached two other levels in the system and landed on the 40-man roster to protect him in a Rule 5 draft that never materialized due to the lockout.

A high walk rate raised some red flags. Bautista figured to go back to Triple-A Norfolk and sharpen his command, but the Orioles broke camp with him and now he’s pitching in high leverage situations.

After a canceled 2020 minor league season, surely 2021 would be the year that Rylan Bannon made his major league debut. 

In 2019, Bannon flashed every tool the Orioles had hoped to see when they acquired the infielder from the Dodgers in 2018. At just 23, Bannon thrived in 20 games at Triple-A Norfolk. The Xavier product flaunted a .317/.344/.549 slash line, good for an .893 OPS. Defensively, Bannon was versatile, getting reps at both second and third base throughout the year. 

When the 2021 season rolled around, it didn’t appear that Bannon would have to wait long to get a call to the bigs. Demonstrate the same promise at Triple-A that the 2019 season showed, and the promotion would come sooner rather than later. 

Things didn’t work out that way. 

“It was definitely not exactly how I would’ve drawn it up,” Bannon joked.

ST. LOUIS – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said the club needs to find out about its players on the 40-man roster, part of a 2022 itinerary that also includes development in the farm system, prospect promotions and trying to win games and move closer to competitive status.

There’s some serious multi-tasking happening from top to bottom in the organization, with plenty of hands trying to keep it balanced.

Rylan Bannon earned his first major league promotion and start this afternoon, one of those guys the club wants to get its eyes on, and the moment wasn’t too big for him.

Bannon made a diving backhand stop along the third base line and threw out Nolan Arenado to end the first inning. He lined a single into left field on the first pitch thrown to him in the second following Jorge Mateo’s home run.

A bullpen game for the Orioles to close out the series produced an unlikely result, Bannon’s favorable first impression one highlight in a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals.

ST. LOUIS - The Orioles made multiple adjustments to their health-challenged roster this morning, with Rylan Bannon recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and given his first start in the series finale against the Cardinals.

Bannon is playing third base in his major league debut. He joined the taxi squad yesterday.

Left-hander Paul Fry was optioned to Norfolk.

Ryan Mountcastle and Ramón Urías are day-to-day with a sore wrist and abdomen, respectively. Urías said this morning that he felt better, but “not great, great.”

“Urías and Mountcastle both trending better, still not available today,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Hopefully, they’ll be available off the bench, but not sure. They’re still getting treatment right now. We felt like we needed an extra body.”

ST. LOUIS - The Orioles apparently will avoid making a roster move prior to tonight’s game, but they might not have a choice by the 12:15 p.m. CST series finale.

Ryan Mountcastle was scratched from the lineup due to soreness in his left wrist. Ramón Urías remains day-to-day with some discomfort in his abdomen, leaving catcher Anthony Bemboom as the only healthy reserve on the Orioles’ three-man bench.

The original lineup included Mountcastle as the designated hitter. He made a brief appearance in one of the doorways in the visiting clubhouse during media access and had his wrist taped.

“Ramón’s feeling better,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “They’re still doing some rehab, some tests on it right now, but he is feeling better today, so that’s a good sign.

“Mounty’s been dealing with a sore wrist the last few days, just kind of battling through it. Woke up with it a little bit more sore today, so out of precaution took him out of the lineup. Trying to get that to feel better, and hopefully he’s ready in the next day or two.”